Most funeral homes in the PA area provide a range of options to assist the families and loved ones of the deceased—especially when planning an end-of-life ceremony.
While the most common and preferred method to follow through with a funeral is a traditional burial service, which includes a wake and viewing, followed by a graveside service, cremation services are a less expensive option.
Most funeral homes now provide direct cremation in Pittsburgh to those who prefer a simple end-of-life service. Consider this as a simple guide to help you understand what entails a direct cremation service and to help you through an emotional time.
What’s a direct cremation?
Once you’ve selected a funeral service provider who meets your requirements to provide a suitable direct cremation service for your loved one, family members get the chance to say their final goodbyes.
The body of the deceased will then be transported to the funeral home where the funeral director will take on the responsibility of seeing that the required paperwork, such as death certificates, is in order before proceeding with the cremation.
Whether there’s a funeral ceremony or not, the cremation process remains the same.
What’s the process of a direct cremation?
Once the loved ones of the deceased have paid their respects and the body is transported to the funeral home, the following steps will take place:
1. Confirming the identity
An identity check is conducted to ensure that the correct body is prepared for the cremation. Identity checks are usually done with the personal information provided by the family.
The process of tagging is then carried out to make sure that the right cremated remains are sent to the families. Most of the tags used are fire-resistant to eliminate mistakes and identity confusion.
2. Preparing the body
Jewelry and other personal valuables are removed by the technician and handed over to the family.
Prosthetics and medical devices that are battery-operated are also removed to prevent certain chemical reactions during the cremation process.
3. Picking a cremation container
Cremations usually take place in a combustible container. Most reputable funeral service providers will include an up-front cost.
It’s always advisable, however, to double-check to make sure there are no hidden costs.
4. Cremating the body
After the body is prepared for cremation, it’s placed in a pre-heated furnace which acts as the crematory chamber.
The cremation process usually takes 2-3 hours.
5. Collecting and refining the ashes
Once the ashes are collected, it’s checked for impurities that are usually removed by hand.
The ashes are then refined into a powder with the help of a cremulator.
6. Returning the cremated remains
The refined ashes are then transferred to a container to be handed over to the family.
You can provide an urn to the funeral home beforehand or you can pick one out after the ashes are returned to you in a temporary container.
Entrust direct cremation in Pittsburgh to a professional funeral home
Whether you’ve decided to proceed with a direct cremation in Pittsburgh for your loved one because it’s cheaper or a more convenient option, it would be best to obtain help from a professional funeral home.
Make sure you select a funeral home that can meet your requirements for a fitting end-of-life ceremony for your loved one and can help you arrange affordable funeral services.
